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TED, St. Louis MORobin Burden, Ph. D.
Rebecca Hinshaw, Ph.D.Indiana State University
November 6, 2010
Providing a Prolonged Clinical Experience for Teacher Candidates
Teacher Education Division, CECNovember 6, 2010St. Louis, Missouri
TOTAL: Teachers of Tomorrow Advancing Learning
Core beliefsWe believe in the integration of theoretical
and experiential learning.
We believe our most basic product is a high quality education.
We believe that we must assimilate new knowledge into teaching through dynamic partnerships.
What does the research say?
• Art Levine– “Today, the teacher education curriculum is a
confusing patchwork. Academic instruction and clinical instruction are disconnected.” (Levine, p 26).
• Recommendations from Levine – “Transform education schools from ivory towers
into professional schools focused on classroom practice.” p. 104
Levine, A. (2006). Educating School Teachers. The Education Schools Project.
• Teachers need to understand more than content. They need an understanding of their students and how the content affects them as well as how to use the strengths that the students bring to school and build upon them. Thus, successful teaching is a combination of content knowledge and dispositions.
• Darling-Hammond, L. & Bransford, J. (Eds.). (2005). Preparing teachers for a changing world: What teachers should learn and be able to do. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Impact on Indiana State University
The TOTAL program restructures the sequencing of courses and establishes a professional semester prior to student teaching.
ISU’s Programmatic Vision
TOTAL Program
Experiential Learning
Personal Attention
Dynamic Partnerships
Guiding Principles for the TOTAL Program
Deeper, richer clinical experiences (experiential learning)
Early and continuous contact with faculty (personal attention)
Work with local schools to better prepare candidates for the job market (dynamic partnerships)
Benefits
• Teacher Candidates
• 237 hours of clinical experience
• Deeper understanding of what teaching involves
• 2 semesters in schools• No “parachuting”
• Schools
• Additional hands in the classroom
• No disruption of classroom schedule for practicums
• Coaches tend to “pick up their game”
• TOTAL Interns
• Coaching Teachers
• University Supervisors
• TOTAL Faculty
• 2007-2009: 2 Schools, Pilot Program
• 2009-2010: 4 Schools
• 2010-2011: 7 Schools, Traditional Program Ends
• 2011-2012: All students participate in TOTAL
• ISU Faculty–Weekly meetings since 11/2006
Our Schedule
• 1-2 weeks on campus, then• 6-8 Weeks, M on campus, T-R in schools, F
“Professional Responsibility Day”• 6-8 Weeks, “Focus Weeks” In schools full time• Finals week, on campus
Assessments
• Weekly Conference• Observations by Coaching
Teacher• Observation by University
Supervisor• Midterm and Final Evaluation of
Intern’s Ability and Dispositions
TOTAL Teaching Faculty
Challenges
For Math Methods the challenge is having enough time to model the different methods one can use to reach all levels of children in mathematics…
My biggest challenge has been modifying the calendar every semester…
• Supporting increasingly large numbers of TOTAL Interns, Coaching Teachers, and schools
• Handling issues such as student athletes, weak interns, difficult coaching teachers…
• And the big one…
Going from over 50 hours of instruction to around 10 hours of instruction and trusting in the Coaching Teachers to model and explain teaching methods.
Benefits
• Approximately 237 practicum hours compared to 35-40
• The quality of the practicum
• Extra hands in the classroom
• Enabling Coaches to differentiate instruction
• Classes not having to reschedule times of reading/math/science/social studies lessons to meet university course times
The benefit of TOTAL has to be the experience of being in one classroom with one Master teacher with one group of students all semester. The interns are living the actual daily life of a teacher and not just reading in a book.
• Teachers love these “full-time” mentees and NOT just for the extra set of hands. Most of our coaches truly want to be mentors and offer the run of their files and ideas for our students to benefit from.
I have been fortunate to have experienced the ISU Total Intern Program as both a teacher and a principal…
• Mrs. Marie Osborne, Grade 4
Many feel the teaching profession is one of those easy jobs, summers off, lots of time off for holidays and such…
Future Directions• Training additional Coaching Teachers
• Training University Faculty in the Coaching Model of supervision
• Course changes/additions
• Transition from traditional program to TOTAL for all students by Fall 2011
• Increase the number of participating schools– Have already increased from 2 to 7 schools
• From a former TOTAL Intern:
I always knew I WANTED to be a teacher, now I know I CAN!
Robin Burden, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Indiana State [email protected]
Rebecca Hinshaw, Ph.D.,Assistant Professor, Indiana State [email protected]
